With the 2022 NFL season winding down, I’ll be taking a look back at the 2022 rookies. I’ll be analyzing how your dynasty rookie drafts should have gone down! In this redraft, I will be looking through the lens of a PPR, 1QB dynasty fantasy football league. Let’s get into the first round with this 2022 Dynasty Rookie Redraft.

1.01 Breece Hall RB NYJ

Last year Breece Hall was the unquestioned first overall pick and in this redraft, he remains the first pick. Hall was on his way to finishing his rookie campaign as a top-10 running back in fantasy football. Unfortunately, he went down with a torn ACL in Week 7 against the Broncos. In those seven games, Hall was averaging a fantastic 5.79 YPC. Furthermore, he was also displaying elite usage in the passing game racking up 31 targets before he went down.

In recent years we have seen many players come back from a torn ACL and succeed, so there is no reason to doubt Hall coming back to fantasy greatness. If you were to redraft the 2022 rookie class for dynasty purposes, I’d still be taking Hall first overall. 

1.02 Garrett Wilson WR NYJ

Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson put up a fantastic rookie campaign and was selected as a reserve for the Pro Bowl. Even with bad quarterback play all season, Wilson was able to finish as the WR21 in both PPR and Standard scoring leagues. He recorded 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns.

The Jets are in desperate need of upgrading the quarterback position and are believed to be major players in the quarterback market this off-season. There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about Zach Wilson and the Jets are absolutely a landing spot for a top-rated free agent quarterback or a rookie. This should really excite Wilson owners as so many points were left on the field due to bad quarterback play.

Wilson was really a target machine for the Jets this year. He finished seventh in the league in targets with 147. Furthermore, he only had four touchdowns to show for it. That number should improve next year. If the Jets get a solid upgrade at quarterback, Wilson could be in for some fantastic fantasy production in 2023 and beyond. 

1.03 Kenneth Walker RB SEA

Coming in as the third overall pick, Kenneth Walker feels like a steal. One could make an argument that Walker should be taken ahead of Hall and Wilson. When he took over the starting role in Week 6 due to a Rashaad Penny injury, he took advantage of his opportunity. Walker had a very good 4.61 YPC and found the end zone nine times.

One concern about Walker coming out of Michigan State was his lack of use in the passing game. Throughout the season, Walker showed promise in his receiving abilities catching 27 of his 35 targets. All that being said, with a full season of bell cow usage, expect a huge season from the Michigan State product.

1.04 Chris Olave WR NO

New Orleans had plenty of issues this year. As a bright spot, rookie wide receiver Chris Olave had a solid season and showed the potential to be an elite fantasy football asset. Some might even argue he’s the top wide receiver in this 2022 draft class.

Olave and the other pass catchers on the Saints dealt with below-average quarterback play. However, that did not hold Olave back from being a fantasy-relevant wide receiver. He hauled in 72 balls for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns. Finally, a quarterback upgrade is inevitable in New Orleans and it should only help Olave improve on his already impressive numbers.

1.05 Drake London WR ATL

For the Atlanta Falcons, Drake London started his NFL career on a hot streak. He looked like he was on pace for a great rookie season. London started his first three games by scoring 12.40 in Week 1, 24.60 in Week 2, and 14.40 in Week 3. Following Week 3, London’s production fell off dramatically. London scored double-digit fantasy points only once in the next nine weeks.

London finished the season off looking very promising for next season. In the final five games of the season, London had at least eight targets in every single game. Managers should be excited to see what London can do next season after a full NFL off-season.

1.06 Jameson Williams WR DET

Possibly the toughest player to evaluate and redraft from this 2022 class is Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions. Williams missed essentially all of his rookie campaign due to the torn ACL he suffered back at Alabama in the National Championship game. He was able to return and make his debut in Week 13. Even though Williams was active, the Lions seemed determined to ease their 1st Round pick back into action. That was clear as he never saw more than 25% of snaps and only received more than one target in two games.

Even with limited playing time this season, Williams looked explosive and could already be in the conversation for the fastest player in the NFL. Williams flashed his game-changing ability multiple times in his limited playing time. His first and only catch in the NFL was a 41-yard touchdown where in Week 17, he took an end around for 40 yards. Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that in Week 18 he had a long touchdown called back on an offensive penalty.

Come next season when Williams has more time to recover and get integrated into the offense, Williams should display the talent and potential that warranted him being picked 12th overall.

1.07 George Pickens WR PIT

George Pickens showed flashes of greatness this year with multiple 100+ receiving-yard games. On top of that, he made some eye-opening acrobatic catches. Unfortunately, Pickens also had many games where he left managers asking “Where is he?”

Overall, Pickens needs to be more consistent to become a reliable fantasy starter, but he has absolutely shown the talent. If fellow rookie Kenny Pickett can step up his game, Pickens could be in for a very successful career.

1.08 Treylon Burks WR TEN

Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Treylon Burks had a disappointing rookie season, but managers shouldn’t be so quick to blame him. Unfortunately, he suffered a toe injury early in the season and was sent to the IR. Burks returned in Week 10 and showed some flashes over the next four weeks. Burks had 18.10 fantasy points in Week 11 and 17.00 fantasy points in Week 12.

Burks was just getting comfortable and becoming a strong asset and then got a concussion in Week 13 while catching a touchdown. While he missed the next two games with injury and returned for the final three games but was pretty quiet to end the year. Burks finished the season with Malik Willis and Joshua Dobbs throwing the ball. Finally, Burks should show why he was viewed as a top rookie draft pick next season with better quarterback play. Really, he might be looking like a solid dynasty buy-low candidate this off-season. 

1.09 Jahan Dotson WR WAS

Someone who has put together a promising rookie season is Jahan Dotson. That’s despite the bad quarterback play all season long in Washington. Dotson played in 12 games this season and still was tied with Christian Watson for the most receiving touchdowns by a rookie this year with seven.

Dotson was very touchdown dependent, 20% of his receptions ended with him in the end zone. The touchdown percentage will likely lower in the following seasons, but Dotson looks the part to be a solid receiver in the NFL. All that being said, this should bring in some successful and productive fantasy football seasons in the future for Dotson. 

1.10 Dameon Pierce RB HOU

Dameon Pierce showed in his rookie season that he deserves to be “redrafted” higher than the 10th slot. With that being said, history does not look kindly on Day 3 running backs such as Pierce. Additionally, with a historic running back landscape this offseason, it is possible that Pierce does not receive the bulk of the workload like he did this past season. 

Pierce managers have a choice to make this off-season, keep him and trust in the coaches that they saw what Pierce was able to do on the field. However, they could also consider trading him away to be safe from the Texans adding another running back either to split with Pierce or take over the job. If the Texans stick with Pierce as the bell cow, getting him at 10th overall is a fantastic value.

1.11 James Cook RB BUF

For the Buffalo Bills, rookie James Cook saw under 50% of the snaps all season until Week 18. It was then that he saw just 56% of the offensive snaps. Even though Cook was averaging around 30-40% of snaps per game, he looked really smooth with his carries and showed his ability to contribute in the passing game.

With just 91 carries this season, Cook racked up 525 yards for 5.77 YPC. On a per-carry basis, Cook was just as good as the 1.01, Breece Hall. With Singletary entering free agency, there is a decent chance that Cook is the starter in Buffalo next year. If Cook is able to secure the vacant carries he could be well over 1,000 yards for the next few years.

1.12 Christian Watson WR GB

It was a historic second half for the Green Bay rookie, as Christian Watson came into Week 10 with only one touchdown all year. From Week 10 on, Watson was on a touchdown-scoring tear, he scored eight touchdowns in a four-week span. Then from Week 10 to Week 13, Watson scored 99.2 fantasy points. That’s a per-game average of 24.8 points. 

The elephant in the room is definitely the quarterback situation. Aaron Rodgers has yet to decide if he is going to retire or desires to be dealt elsewhere in 2023. However, if Rodgers is in fact returning to Green Bay and Watson is able to build off of a strong second half, Watson could be a major breakout candidate.

– Dynasty Home –

All of our 2023 Rookie Content:

• ADP (1QB)
• ADP (SF/2QB)
• Rankings
• 2023 Class Preview
• Top 10 Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Way Too Early Mock Draft

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